On 18 December 2024, the Mekong Migration Network (MMN) in collaboration with the Northern Labour Network, EMPOWER, MAP, and the Human Rights and Development Foundation, co-organised an event to celebrate International Migrants Day. Under the banner, “Mixed Migration: Migrants Are Human”, the event, which took place at the Buddhist Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand, drew around 120 participants.

At the event, migrants shared their personal migration stories. A female migrant worker from Myanmar said:

I came to Thailand to escape the war in Myanmar. I am looking for stability and a better life. I hope to contribute to Thailand’s development, as this country has become my second home.

Another recent arrival from Myanmar explained that

I can no longer return to Myanmar—if I do, I may be forced to become a soldier. I want to use the knowledge I have gained here to build a better life for myself and my family.

Mr Artid Pabun, MMN, introduced our work on mixed migration from Myanmar since the 2021 military coup. The event concluded with participants calling on the Thai authorities to improve labour policies for all workers by ensuring fair wages, enhanced social protection, and ratifying key International Labour Organization conventions. Recommendations stressed the need to protect workers in various forms of employment, with particular attention to female workers and those in informal sectors.

The event underscored the urgent need for more inclusive policies that respect the rights and dignity of all migrants in Thailand.